Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.
Rebecca SolnitRead
The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.
Interpretation
As we age, we often come to appreciate the insights and wisdom of our parents more deeply.
This quote by Timothy J. Russert reflects the idea that with the passage of time and experience, individuals begin to understand and value the perspectives and lessons imparted by their parents. As we face life's complexities, the wisdom that once seemed simplistic often reveals its depth, making us realize how much our fathers knew and taught us, often through their own life experiences.
In practice
In a graduation speech about mentorship.
Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.
What should we think of someone who never admits error, never entertains doubt but adheres unflinchingly to the same ideas all his life, regardless of new evidence? Doubt and skepticism are signs of rationality. When we are too certain of our opinions, we run the risk of ignoring any evidence that conflicts with our views. It is doubt that shows we are still thinking, still willing to reexamine hardened beliefs when confronted with new facts and new evidence.
I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings and strictly honest, who complained of hard luck. A good character, good habits and iron industry are impregnable to the assaults of all ill-luck that fools ever dreamed.
Discipline is the highest of all virtues. Only so may strength and desire be counterbalanced and the endeavors of man bear fruit.
To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies.
Genius is rare because the means of becoming one have not been available
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